FG, World Bank to Recruit 80,000 Nigerian Youths For Technical And Vocational Training

• Federal Government and World Bank launch vocational training targeting 80,000 young Nigerians nationwide
• Abuja’s third IDEAS cohort begins training 777 participants in digital skills, agriculture, beauty and construction
• Programme combines practical instruction, industry internships and employment support to build market-ready skills

Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.

The Federal Government, in partnership with the World Bank, has launched a fresh round of technical and vocational training targeting 80,000 young Nigerians nationwide.

The initiative aims to equip participants with practical, market-relevant skills through training that combines competency development, industry internships and employment support.

Implemented through the Federal Ministry of Education’s Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project, the programme formally commenced its third cohort on Friday in Abuja.

The flag-off ceremony at the Abuja Trade and Convention Centre marked the start of training for 777 young Nigerians across seven accredited Training Service Providers in the Federal Capital Territory.

Training spans digital skills, agriculture and construction

The IDEAS Project seeks to expand access to quality technical and vocational education, with participating centres delivering competency-based training aligned with National Skills Qualification standards.

Training covers digital and creative media, beauty and cosmetology, construction and building trades, as well as agriculture and agribusiness.

These fields form part of the programme’s approach to preparing young people for work across different sectors of the economy.

Under the training model, participants will progress from practical instruction to industry internships, followed by employment support. The structure is intended to connect skills acquired during training with workplace requirements.

The Abuja launch brings together providers with different areas of specialisation under a shared framework for developing occupational competence.

‘Nigeria needs competence, not more certificates’

Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Adesoji Adesugba said the initiative would help address the mismatch between available workers and the skills employers require.

Adesugba is the First Deputy President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and Chairman of its Business Entrepreneurship Skills and Technology (BEST) Centre.

He argued that Nigeria’s large youth population must be matched with the practical capabilities needed to participate productively in the economy.

“Nigeria’s challenge is not a shortage of young people. It is a shortage of young people equipped with skills the market is willing to pay for,” he said.

“Our economy does not need more certificates. It needs more competence. That is why this programme is deliberately practical. By the end of it, each trainee will hold not just a certificate, but a portfolio of real work.”

His remarks placed practical achievement at the centre of the programme, with trainees expected to demonstrate their abilities through completed work.

Seven providers begin Abuja training

The seven participating providers are the ACCI Business Entrepreneurship Skills and Technology Centre, Onidiri Home of Beauty, the Gemological Institute of Nigeria and iLearn Learning Spaces.

Others are Germnig Consultants Limited, Dari Investments Limited, and Binley and Bramble, which is participating in partnership with School Hunters.

Together, the centres will train the 777 participants covered by the Abuja flag-off as part of the wider initiative targeting 80,000 youths nationwide.

For this cohort, the stated focus is on building demonstrable skills and supporting the transition into industry.

The combination of practical training, internships and employment support is designed to give participants a clearer connection between what they learn and the demands of the labour market.

FG opens portal for nationwide registration of Nigerians

Legit.ng earlier reported that the federal government has officially launched the National Youth Data Bank (NYDB), a programme to register every Nigerian between the ages of 15 and 35 and build a centralised record of the country's youth population.

Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, announced the launch on Tuesday, September 29, in Abuja, saying the database would capture young Nigerians in both the formal and informal sectors, covering fields such as agriculture, sports, technology and the creative industries.